GUG – Generator Users Group

The Generator Users Group (GUG) was formed to provide an opportunity for owner/operators of electric generators worldwide (initially 1500/1800- and 3000/3600-rpm machines) to share experiences, best practices, and lessons learned on design, installation, operation, maintenance, and overhaul. Expected outcomes are improved plant safety, maintainability, availability/reliability, and efficiency, as well as more effective transfer of industry knowledge from experienced engineers to those with less experience.

Technical content for, and discussion management at, GUG meetings is the responsibility of the steering committee comprised of users only. Click appropriate tabs at left to get the preliminary agenda for the upcoming meeting and to review brief professional abstracts of steering-committee members. Everything else required to conduct GUG meetings—including venue arrangements, registration, meals, badges, audio/visual equipment, promotion through media and the International Generator Technical Community (IGTC, www.generatortechnicalforum.org)—is the responsibility of a small group of non-user industry volunteers.

The idea for a generator users group, and the energy behind its launch, came from Clyde V Maughan, president, Maughan Generator Consultants. By calling some of his many user friends and associates and urging their participation on the steering committee, and getting meaningful support from NV Energy, the IGTC, PowerUsers, SV Events, and CCJ ONline, he was able to move this initiative forward.

Generator Users Group Steering Committee

Photo taken: 2019 Conference in St. Louis, MO

Front row, left to right: Jane Hutt, IGTC; Ryan Harrison, Heartland Generation Ltd.; Jagadeesh Srirama, NV Energy
Back row, left to right: John Demcko, EUMAC, Inc.; Jeff Phelps, Southern Company; Kent Smith, Duke Energy; Dave Fischli, Duke Energy; Joe Riebau, Exelon
Camera Shy: Craig Spencer, Calpine

Steering Committee Members:

Doug Coleman
Generator Engineer, Duke Energy

Info coming soon…
Committee member since 2023

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Dave Fischli
Director of Engineering & Programs, Duke Energy

Dave joined Duke Energy in 2005, spending 10 years at McGuire Nuclear Station providing technical oversight for its steam turbines and generators. During this period, Dave was the lead technical design authority for several steam turbine upgrade projects to increase station output by 2%, as well as for generator stator replacements on both units to restore their 1450-MVA nameplate condition from a de-rated condition due to original equipment design issues.
Dave transitioned out of nuclear in 2015 to lead the centralized generator engineering team supporting all turbo-generators in the fleet. In 2021, he assumed responsibility for all the engineering teams (gas turbine, steam turbine, & generator) responsible for optimizing the cost and reliability of Duke Energy’s fleet of over 200 turbo-generators with an output capacity of ~46 GW. This mission is fulfilled by developing programs, initiatives, and business cases to address common fleet issues or reliability risks. It involves early threat identification and elimination, PM program optimization, and strategic planning for fleet upgrades and improvements.
Academics: BS, Mechanical Engineering, North Carolina State Univ; MS, Engineering Management, Drexel Univ.
Committee member since 2015

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Andres Olivares
Generator Specialist, Outage Services, Calpine Corporation

Andres Olivares, began his career in power industry in 2010 at National Electric Coil as Quality Engineer at their Coil Manufacturing facility in Brownsville TX; progressing into Site and Project Manager for hydro and fossil projects. Continued to Andritz Hydro as Field Engineer/Site Supervisor for projects in North America before joining Calpine as Generator Specialist supporting outages and maintenance for a fleet of more than 200 turbo-generators.
Academics: BS, Industrial Engineering (ICEST – Mexico)
Committee member since 2021

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Jeff Phelps – (2023 Chair)
Consulting Engineer – System Generator SME – Southern Company

Jeff holds a BSEE from Tennessee Technological University and has over 38 years’ experience supporting Southern Company’s turbo and hydro generator fleet of 200+ units. Specific responsibilities include providing generator and auxiliary system engineering, maintenance, and operational support. Additionally, Jeff serves as the system generator SME in support of strategic planning, event / root cause investigation, and vendor product / service evaluation.
Committee member since 2018

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Joe Riebau
Senior Manager, Electrical Engineering and NERC, Constellation Power

Riebau began his career with Baltimore Gas & Electric Co more than three decades ago in the substation equipment and test department. He has spent most time since working in and managing maintenance and engineering programs for nuclear, fossil-fired, wind, and solar generating plants—including projects involving substation and plant electrical equipment, generators, motors, transformers, protective relaying, electrical safety, construction, project management, and turbine engineering and maintenance.
Academics: BS, Electrical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology; BS, Engineering Administration, George Washington Univ.
Committee member since 2015

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Craig Spencer (2023 Vice-Chair)
Director of Outage Services, Calpine

Craig Spencer began his career as an engineering technician in Westinghouse’s Generator Service Group while earning a BSME at the University of Central Florida. He continued on with Westinghouse and Siemens in roles of engineer and generator specialist before joining Calpine as a generator specialist. Now he is a Director of Outage Services, covering outage maintenance for Calpine’s diverse generator fleet, spanning over 200 units from fifteen different OEMs.
Committee member since 2018

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Jagadeesh Srirama
Senior Electrical Engineer, NV Energy

Srirama has worked in NV Energy’s power generation department for nearly three years as a senior electrical engineer. Previously, he was an electrical project engineer for CalEnergy Operations’ geothermal plants (more than four years), an electrical engineer in mining operations, maintenance, and design for Freeport McMoRan Inc (three years), and a maintenance technician for Aramark Facility Services.
Academics: BTech, Electrical Engineering, JNTU Univ (Hyderabad, India); MS, Electrical Engineering, South Dakota School of Mines & Technology.
Committee member since 2015

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Past Steering Committee Members:
John Demcko, 2015-2018; (committee advisor), 2018-2020
Ryan Harrison,
Jane Hutt, (committee advisor), 2018-2023
Kent Smith, 2015-2022

Mission Statement of the Generator Users Group

The mission of the Generator Users Group (GUG) is to provide an opportunity for owner/operators of electric generators worldwide (initially 1500/1800- and 3000/3600-rpm machines) to share experiences, best practices, and lessons learned on design, installation, operation, maintenance, and overhaul. Expected outcomes are improved plant safety, maintainability, availability/reliability, and efficiency. The GUG also serves to effectively transfer industry knowledge from experienced engineers to those with less experience.

2024 ANNUAL CONFERENCE

August 26 – 29, 2024

Arizona Grand Resort
8000 South Arizona Grand E
Phoenix, AZ 85044

Open Conference Details

The Maughan Award recognition is earned by industry professionals who have demonstrated excellence throughout their careers in the design, construction, management, operation, and/or maintenance of generating facilities powered by gas and/or steam turbines.

Nomination form will be available in January 2023.

2023 Maughan Award Nomination Form

Deadline to submit a nomination form is Friday, June 2, 2023.

Meet our Past Award Winners: